Christmas Time last minute present

It's nearly Christmas at least that's what the calender says.

I'm ready for it the presents are brought the kids have decorated the tree and the house and i was just congratulating myself on being so organised when i received a facebook message from my niece.

It was along the lines of
 "Hi i was hoping you could make something for my cousins baby it's her first Christmas,maybe something with her name on it and something she could keep."

"Well yes, no problems but i hope it's something i can get finished in time,what do you have in mind ":

" I don't know"

"Okay then you had better come over and we will sort it out "

A Santa Sack with her name on it was decided as it meet all the cirtreia

So one shopping trip later we had the fabric needed and some extra just in case, was ready to start.  A few hours later "hey presto" one Santa Sack complete with the inside lined so as not to see any seams and her name hand stitched on.

The Finished Santa Sack.

Creating my way to Success: Madwestdesigns - A Christmas shout out!

I was featured in a Christmas Advent Calender shout-out
Thanks to Jill over at creating my way to success


Creating my way to Success: Madwestdesigns - A Christmas shout out!

Creating my way to Success: Creating Success around the World - Marie at Madwestdesigns

Creating my way to Success: Creating Success around the World - Marie at Madwestdesigns

UFO's too (no not the out of space kind)

Continuing with my theme of UFO's Mia from naptime creations has shared with me about her UFO's


"My oldest UFO is my knitting project which is my son's sweater. I started when I was 9 months pregnant and have not had any time to finish it.( oh the things we start when pregnant )Two children and painting take up all my time. I guess you can say that my children are my UFO's they are a work in progress as I raise them!
My craft is painting canvases for children's rooms.

This is my favourite as it is my daughters name and spelt correctly.

I love knitting and painting.
Yes, I will one day finish my son's sweater, but will put it in a shadow box.(love this idea)
UFOs in the states are called simply unfinished projects."

Mia's artworks can be personalized with your child's name

or one for the boys

any one for coffee and cake

Mia is also a fellow Etsykids Team member and when i asked how she found Etsy this is what she replied


"I found Etsy when I was shopping in my local craft store talking to a friend about my paintings. Another customer overheard my conversation and asked me if I ever heard of Etsy! When I came home from shopping, I set up my shop mia4art Naptime Creations!

How nice that a stranger took the time tell you about Etsy

 You can also follow Mia on her blog    http://www.aboutnaptimecreations.blogspot.com/

UFO's- no not the out of space Kind!

I thought it would be kind of fun to ask people about their UFO's and so i posted this on Etsykids Blog and waited for someone to contact me.
I gave it a few days and someone did, only to ask me what a UFO was and was i writing about little green men. "LOL really loud" because i did, i did not even give a thought to what other countries called "Unfinished Objects"(UFO's) of the Craft / Art world. But that is what we call them here in Australia, we even have a dedicated group who advertise in our local paper for people to join their UFO group.
So now that you have all finished laughing, let's hear from  my very first "Little Green Person" (have to be PC)  Nicollete from lillollipops Designs .

 But before we start this is the response from Nicollete
"I actually have never heard of UFOs except the ones people claim to see in the sky with aliens. lol However, I think that is a great word for unfinished things. I will start to use that!"
"Glad to be of help and add to your vocab"

"So you what to know what my oldest unfinished piece is right? like something I started but never finished??"

"Yes and any others??"

"Ok...
-hmmm my oldest UFO (Unfinisihed object) ,,, I have quite a few because usually I will cut out my fabric pieces and put them in bags ready to sew. I would say my oldest is some pieces I had cut up to make a Halloween swing skirt, but the funny thing is, it was cut and ready to be sewn three halloweens ago! lol

Love the fabric, maybe next Halloween

"-Like I said, I have quite a few because I cut them up and they are ready to be sewn. I would say I have approx. 10.
-Of course I always "plan" to finish my UFO's. Will it happen....I hope so. In fact, thinking about them makes me want to finish one I have that is going to be a Kimono inspired Dress. When I stop to think about it, I am guilty of semi finishing products enough to picture them and list them in my shop on Etsy. Find lillollipops on Etsy here When a person buys it, I go back and double check seams and serge the edges before I send them out. Oh boy! If I think about all those...I have MANY UFOs! lol

A wall Hanging i Made but

I can't work out how to cut down the screw on the back

 so it is now a UFO

 "Maybe someone could help with this"

and one last thing as we are both members of the Etsykids Team , how did you find them?
yes...um...wow I have been a member for a while. I think once I realized what teams were, I searched the word "kids"
and "children". Out all of those kinds of teams, Etsy Kids seem to have the most members and lots of things like their Ning ring and Webpage and their involvement with Handmade Child Magazine. I am glad I found them, they have been great!:)You can also find Etsykids Team on Facebook

Thank you Nicollete i really hope you do get to finish your UFO's

Here's all the links for lillollipops Designs

Etsy

Facebook

 Blog 

 If you would like to share about you UFO's please be in touch.

Cheers

Lil Lollipops Designs: G'Day! Knitted with love from Australia...NEW GIV...

 Stop by Lil Lollipops Designs for your chance to win one of my Girls/Teens Hats,be sure to read the article first you might find out a little more at the person behind Madwestdesigns.

Lil Lollipops Designs: G'Day! Knitted with love from Australia...NEW GIV...: Meet my new Etsy Friend, Marie West from Mad West Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/madwestdesigns . She is from down unda and crochets a...

Creating my way to Success: Madwestdesigns - my wonderful new sponsor!

What a fantastic Blog Jill has,there are many many links to various different pages,blogs business you name it it's there.With over 1000 followers Jill offers many different packages to suit anyone.Pop over and take a look around like i did and find out for yourself.
Follow the link below to read the feature Jill did for me, I love it

Creating my way to Success: Madwestdesigns - my wonderful new sponsor!

Cheers
Marie

Passing on your knowledge

I have long moaned that in some situations people just won't pass on to others what they know.I have spent my entire life either studying,researching or working in the industry to further my knowledge and am more than happy to pass it on.I am still learning and the internet is the perfect tool.
I don't understand some people when they won't  share and i do get it all the time in my workplace,we often ask fellow stitcher's how they did something,they look at you blank in that first instant,then ignore you and move on,yet they except an answer when they ask you something,very frustrating.
When at a very early age my daughter showed an intrest in anything craft i made sure i encouraged it,feeding her information and showing her what she wanted to know, this was quite a task as she is left handed and i am right.
She very rarely needs me to help her now making and putting things together,to the point where she was show her classmates in textiles how to make things,and the teacher also getting her to help others.

Her single bed Donna cover took out Best Exhibit

While her scarp booking pages got First, Second & Third while her cards got First,Second,Third and a participant award

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So i think with a little encouragement all kids can achieve.

aWhile my son took this Photo and won Best Exhibit

Showtime update.

As i said in my last post it was our local show over the last weekend, some of it was wet and rainy, some beautiful and sunny.
Our entries were very successful again this year so over the next few posts i shall try to show some of them

                                                               My overall winnings

My Two Scarf's the top one is knitted from some 4ply hand dyed wool i brought from the Bendigo Sheep & Wool Show last year.The Bottom one is crocheted from 5ply made at the Bendigo Woollen Mills.

A Traditional Matinee Baby Jacket.
The matching Dress Bootees and Bonnet won First Place last Year.

I

"Hoot" Takes out Second up against all sorts of toys.

My Boys hat also receives a second Place

My very first pair of Maryjanes takes out first place and Best Exhibit.
Pattern used with permission from Hook Candy
You can buy the pattern from here
hook candy

      

I take out the Most Successful Local Exhibitor -Knitting for the year 2011
This is awarded on a point system according to what places you get.



Hopefully on my next post i can show you some of my daughters work as well as the photo my son entered

You can see more of my work in my Etsy Store madwestdesigns on Etsy
and facebook madwestdesigns on facebook
My items are also sold at  viewpoint handemade gallery
Or i can be contacted by email  madwestdesigns@gmail.com

Cheers
                                                            

Show Time

As with many other places in the world Bendigo has it's own local Show.I have being atteneding for as long as i can remember,standing in the craft pavilion in awe of the many differnet types of craft on display, from knitting , sewing, patchwork, embroidery, woodwork, cooking and the list goes on and on.
As a teenager in year eight textiles i entered a black evening skirt with lace gore panels way beyond anything my age group was wearing but that's me, pushing the limits.That skirt won me my first, First Place certificate.For many years after that i did not enter another thing, i think life got in the way.
Fast forward quite a few years to when my daughter was in grade four and she entered her first item.
A beaded necklace and earrings that she had spent weeks creating, little flowers and leaves with the tiniest of beads only to overhear a steward comment that "no one of that age can do that"For many kids that would be the end of their show entries, or creating for that matter.Thank goodness it was a red flag to my daughter, to prove that year after year someone of that age can create something of a standard that is sometimes better than that of any adult.She is now in year eight and 14 years old and for every year since she has entered many different category's from scrap-booking, sewing, embroidery, she quite often takes out every place within the category's as well as Best Exhibit overall.This year she has also entered Drawing and Photography sections in her age group and it will be interesting to see how she goes.
Between the both of us i think we have entered about 30 items and the excitement is building to see if we have won anything, the fun for us is finding our things amongst the many other beautiful items on display.

What Pinterest's you?

What is she talking about, surely that's a typo well no it's not.Pinterest is a new site that is just what the name suggests,a pin board where you pin what interest's you.If your like me and on the net surfing for product or just browsing for whatever takes your fancy you probably have hundreds of bookmarks but can't remember why or you have your favorite ones you buy from and use their wishlist if they have that on their site.How many wishlists on how many pages do you have 10,20,100's well i have lost count of mine and can't remember probably more than half of what i have created as well.
With Pinterest you create pin-boards on what your interests are,craft, food, books, unique, geekie whatever you like,Pin it to your boards in the category you create,it is linked backed to the page or site you pinned it from and is available for others to see and repin to their boards.
I have being busy transferring and finding new items to pin to my boards so that i can find everything in the one place.
The downfall  for Pinterest at the moment is that because it is so new you have to be invited to join or go on the waiting lists.
Laura from     Spotty Owl Design was kind enough to invite me to join and i would like to invite you,if you would like to take me up on that offer please email me madwestdesigns@gmail.com and i shall send you an invite.
Please note: Pinterest may not be for everyone your pinboards are open for everyone to see and search.

View Point Handmade Gallery - Blog: Stockist Spotlight - Madwestdesigns

I am currently one of the lucky stockists at View Point Handmade Gallery in my home town of Bendigo.This is a huge thrill for me to see my items in a "Real Store".
Jess from Viewpoint will be creating an artists Mecca over the next few months,with an upstairs Gallery,Cafe and stage in the back for musicians to play.
Hope you take the time to read about all the other very talented artists that Jess has put in the spotlight and a little more about Viewpoint as well

View Point Handmade Gallery - Blog: Stockist Spotlight - Madwestdesigns: Who are you? Madwestdesigns What do you make? Just about anything that takes my fancy. Currently i am mostly knitting or crochet...

Online Shopping (do you?)

Yes i am guilty of this extremley guilty but you know what i will not say i am sorry that i do.
Have you noticed how prices are creeping up and up on products that you use to make items for your chosen craft.
I am an avid knitter and in recent years crocheter and as such i have a love of some books and magazines.Last year i became a member of Rowan International which cost me about $80 Aud. For that  i get 4 newsletters which are in  a compact magazine style and 2 Rowan Magazines which are full of patterns from Rowan Designers these sell for about 10GBP.
I visited a bricks and mortar store over the weekend and they stock these books along with alot of Rowan Wool and of course alot of other brands and product too.I was just about to purchase 2 of the magazines until the lovely shop-owner said that it was $100 for both,with that i  said "Sorry i would be shot if i paid that much for them."
Now don't get me wrong it's not like i wasted her time and brought nothing,i did, some wool was on my list although only two balls for some socks,the rest was fabric for my daughter to make a quilt because you see they also have a large range of patchwork fabrics.
That night i jumped online and paid a visit to the UK Store  Engilsh Yarns here they stock many, many items the entire Rowan range to be exact.
So THREE  magazines later,postage costs and the exchange rate taken into account i spend $90Aud and maybe have to wait 3 weeks for them to arrive.
The next day i receive an email that my postage costs were even less because of the packaging used,what more can you ask for.

Kenco says knitters are on the rise!

 Found this article while catching up on one of my favourtie mags from the UK.
We are about 3mths behind in Australia so i like to know what is coming.I thought you might like to see that we may just take over the world yet.


Kenco says knitters are on the rise!

My very first post

Welcome to my very first post.
I hope to be able to contniue my love of nearly all things craft and share with you along the way.
My one pet hate is that no one takes (or seems to) the time to pass their skills on to others.
so if along the way if you any questions please ask and i shall try to help if i can.
I have had a long affair with knitting nearly all my life and in later years crochet,i also am a dressmaker by trade and like to partake in some paper craft  too.
Enough for now as i really want to get my blog looking just right (for me anyway) it's the first time i have created one of these too,so if anybody has any helpful hints please feel free to pass them on.